Container lip for excavating equipment providing improved material flow over lip

Abstract

A lip to be applied to a bucket of excavating equipment for moving ground materials that includes a lip adapted to be attached to an open end of a container of the excavating equipment having a front end facing in a forward direction of the container, the lip defining a substantially horizontal bottom lip portion and side portions extending upwardly from lateral ends of the bottom lip portion, and a multiplicity of like projections extending forwardly relative to the lip from at least one of the portions of the lip.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lip assembly to be applied to a front end of a bucket of excavating equipment for moving ground materials, the bucket front end facing in a forward direction, the lip assembly comprising:
 a lip comprising:
 a substantially horizontal bottom portion; 
 side portions extending upwardly from lateral ends of the bottom portion; and 
 a plurality of projections extending from the bottom and side portions; 
 wherein the lip includes a top surface and a bottom surface, both of the top and bottom surfaces extending in an aft direction from front ends of the plurality of projections, 
 wherein first top and bottom surface sections, respectively of each of the top and bottom surfaces, converge in an aft direction from an enlarged portion of the lip, 
 wherein second top and bottom surface sections respectively of each of the top and bottom surfaces diverge relative to each other in the aft direction from the front ends of the plurality of projections to the enlarged portion of the lip, 
 and 
 wherein the enlarged portion of the lip comprises a bulbous enlargement of the cross-section of the lip located aft of the lip edge; 
 
 an excavating equipment component attached to at least one of the plurality of projections, the excavating equipment component having spaced-apart upper and lower legs that extend rearwardly from the front end of the lip, the upper leg having an upper lip engaging surface which is shaped complementary to the second top surface section, and the lower leg having a lower lip engaging surface which is shaped complementary to the first and second bottom surface sections; 
 a first fastener which penetrates the upper leg and extends into the second top surface section; and 
 a second fastener which penetrates the lower leg and extends into the first bottom surface section and causes the lower leg to deflect toward the upper leg and embrace the bulbous enlargement forming a mechanical lock preventing movement of the excavating equipment component relative to the lip. 
 
     
     
       2. The lip assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the lower leg forms a substantially round concave surface shaped to be complementary to the first and second sections of the bottom surface. 
     
     
       3. The lip assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the lower leg is longer in an aft direction as measured from the front end of the lip than the upper leg. 
     
     
       4. The lip assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the excavating equipment component comprises an adapter. 
     
     
       5. The lip assembly according to  claim 2  wherein the excavating equipment component comprises a generally V-shaped shroud.